What you need to know

Property owners are responsible for maintaining all water pipes and fittings between our water main and the buildings/taps on your property - except the water meter. Although we're responsible for maintaining the water meter, we rely on your help.

Please make sure the area around the meter is clear and accessible so we can read, repair or replace it. Examples of hazards are when the meter is:

Repairs on roads and footpaths

Repairs on private property

We'll repair your water service under certain conditions.

If there's a problem in your water system between our pipes and the water meter (up to one metre inside your property boundary), we'll repair it for free. For units, this is the master strata property boundary.

Call us on 13 20 92 (24 hours / 7 days). You may also choose to hire a licenced plumber to do the work for you.

If the leak is near your water meter, we'll ask you questions to make sure that the right person comes to your property and the repairs are done as soon as possible.

What we'll ask about the leak

Is the water leaking near the tap that turns the water to your property on and off?

Is the water leaking from the pipe leading up to the tap handle?

Is the water leaking from the body of the meter, where we read the numbers, or the bolts that hold the meter onto the pipe?

Is the meter number changing when you're not using any water inside your property?

What you need to know

We may not be able to do any work if the service isn't easy to access, the connection isn't authorised or covered by the
Customer Contract or if it's a fire service. You'll need to hire a licensed plumber to do this work.

If we repair a water service that's been
damaged or vandalised, we'll charge you to fix it. The cost will depend on the complexity of the work. We may need to turn off the electricity supply to safely complete the repairs.

A meter tap controls the water supply to your property. You can turn it on and off, but can't connect a hose to it or use it to fill a bucket. Sometimes the meter tap looks like a standard tap and sometimes it looks like a lever.

You may also have a regular tap near your meter that you can use to access water.

Licensed plumbers can repair the meter tap at your cost. However, as a free service, we'll fix the tap for you within 10 working days - usually within five days.

Meter taps

You'll find your meter tap next to your water meter. The meter tap controls the water supply to your property although it's not a regular tap. You can turn it on and off, but you can't connect a hose to the meter tap and you can't use it to fill a bucket.

If you also have a regular tap near your meter, you can use it to access water.

The meter tap controls the water supply to your property. It's not a standard garden tap.

Who's responsible for what?

We own and maintain the large pipes (mains) in the street and the water meter at your property.

The property owner is responsible for all the pipes and fittings that connect to the main. This includes the meter tap.

Who can fix the meter tap?

Licensed plumbers can repair the meter tap at your cost. However, as a free service, we'll fix the tap for you within 10 working days - usually within five days.

We use water meters to charge you correctly for the amount of water you use. If your meter is hard for us to access safely, we won't be able to read it.

We may ask you to read the meter for us or we'll estimate your bill based on your property's previous usage. If we need you to read the meter for us, we'll leave a card at your property. You can tell us your reading online.

If your meter is always difficult to access, you may prefer to have a remotely read meter or install an Abloy utility lock.

Remotely read meter

For a one-off fee, we can install a remotely read meter that we read without going on your property.

Abloy utility lock

If the temperature was below zero overnight, the water inside your outdoor pipes might be frozen. These are the pipes that are above the ground near the water meter.

If you don't have a meter, you may still have pipes that are above the ground outside.

Why don't you have any water?

You still have a water supply - it's just not getting through because of the cold.

How can you fix it?

If you have some water in your house, you can pour it over the frozen pipes to thaw them. Don't use hot water! It may crack your pipes. If you don't have any stored water, the pipes will naturally thaw as the day gets warmer.

If you'd like to prevent your pipes from freezing, place something over them the night before - like a bucket, plastic tub or cardboard box. Wrapping the pipes in foam, rubber, crumpled newspaper or a towel can help too. If you'd like a longer-term solution, place half a tyre over the pipes to prevent the pipes freezing. All these options insulate the area so it doesn't get as cold.